azealia banks: “rza should have had my back immediately and realize how awful women can be treated in hollywood”

Believe Black women.

Last year, the internet went nuts when Azealia Banks found herself in yet another controversy. This time, she claimed that the actor Russell Crowe spat at her at a party, and that RZA, who she considered a mentor and whose film she starred in, did nothing to defend her.

At the time, RZA blamed Banks for the altercation. Following his lead, many took Crowe’s side, using the undeniable fact that Banks is always in some shit to justify their unwillingness to believe her.

But anyone who knows anything about what white men will do to Black women if they know they can get away with it knew then she was telling the truth. The reason Crowe could get away with it is because misogynoir would have it so that, not only would she not be believed, but the Black man who was there wouldn’t even take her side.

In an initial post following the blow up, RZA did not mention the spitting. But in a later TMZ interview, and now again on The Breakfast Club, RZA is admitting the Crowe spit like Banks said he did. In response, Banks took to Facebook to say she feels “vindicated”:

It’s great RZA is telling the truth, but it would have been even better if he’d stood up for sis then. And it would have been even better than that if we all did. Maybe we’ll do better next time.

*This post has been updated to reflect that RZA admitted Crowe spit at Banks in a TMZ interview